Draft-gear follower block



Nov. 13, 1923. I 1,474,225 D. s. BARROWS DRAFT GEAR FOLLOWER BLOCK Filed Feb. 1922 4 witness 7 50 0 1 Noting Patented Nov. 13, 1923.

"UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DONALD S. BARROWS, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE T. H. SYMINGTON COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

DBIAFJP-GrEA ZBI FOLLOWER BLOCK.

Application filed February a, 1922. Serial 1%. 533,703;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DONALD S. BARROWB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft- Gear Follower Blocks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the construction I of draft gear follower blocks which are operatively connected to a car coupler by means of a transversely extending ke in the manner shown,- for example. in the Vright et al. Patent No. 841,757. The primary object of the invention is to produce a follower block of the character indicated which is very strong, comparatively light in weight, and in which manufacturing defects are not likely to occur.

The principal feature of the invention consists in providing a draft gear follower block with end walls and a plurality of webs extending obliquely to and uniting said end walls, some of the oblique webs being divergent toward one of the end walls and some being divergent toward the other end well.

Another feature of the invention conslsts in connecting the end walls of a draft gear follower block by webs having alined key receiving slots, and in uniti the end walls by a plurality of webs whic converge to- Ward one of the end walls and are united thereto in the plane of the .key receiving slots.

As will hereinafter appear and be particularly pointed out in the claims, there are other features of theinvention residing in special details of construction.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention,-

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a follower block involving the invention.

Figure 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3,

Fig. 2.

igure 4; is a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section.

The follower block is formed with end walls 1 and 2, respectively, which are inte-' webs 3 the said webs are united so as to form continuous seats or bearings 6 and 7, respectively, for the key with which the follower block cooperates. Between said. key seat portions 6 and 7 the webs 3 are not connected at the margins of the slots 4, thus reducing the liability of the occurrence of shrinkage cracks in the casting at these points.

The webs 3 are integrally united by Webs 8. which extend obliquely to the end walls 1 and 2 and integrally unite said end walls. The outermost webs 8 diverge from the end wall 1 toward the end wall 2, while the intermediate oblique Webs 8 converge from the wall 1 toward the wall 2, the alternate webs preferably being parallel and the 'interme diate webs preferably being united to the end wall 2 substantially in the plane of the key receiving slots 4. v

As thus constructed the end walls, parallel webs and oblique webs of the follower block form a cellular structure consisting of three series of trian lar prisms. The key slots' 4 in the portions of the Webs ,3 which constitute the bases of the intermediate series of prisms provide for the coring of the central part of the follower block, while suitable openings 9 formed in the webs 3 on o posite sides of their key receiving slots a 0rd means for coring the other series'of prisms.

It will be perceived that the follower block is of a form that is simple to mold and'easy to cast and that, although of comparatively lightv weight, it. is adequately braced a ainst the compression to which it is subject in service.

I claim b y 1. A draft gear follower block comprising end walls, a plurality of side walls uniting said end walls, and a plurality of webs between said side walls extending obliquely to said end walls and to each other and integrally uniting said end walls at least some of said webs being connected to one of said end walls intermediate the upper and lower edges thereof.

2. A draft gear follower block comprising end walls, side walls uniting said end walls, and a plurality of webs uniting said end walls and forming oblique an les therewith, some of said webs bein paral e1.

3. A draft gear follower block comprising end walls, a plurality of parallel webs connecting said end walls and formed with key receiving slots, and a plurality of webs extending obliquely to and uniting said end walls, certain of said obli ue webs being divergent toward one of sai end walls and certain of said oblique webs bein divergent toward the other of-said end we ls.

a. A draft ear follower block comprising end walls, we s connecting said walls, said webs being rovided with slots, and a plurality of we s extending obliquely to and uniting saidend walls, said oblique webs being convergent toward one of said end walls and being united thereto in the plane of said slots.

i '5. A draft gear follower block comprising end walls and a plurality of webs extending obliquely to and integrally uniting said end walls, some of said webs being parallel.

6. 'A- draft gear follower blOCk'COIIIPIlSlHg end walls, webs integrally uniting said walls, said webs being provided with key receiving slots, and a pluralit of Webs extending obli uely to, and uniting said end 'walls, the p anes'of the adjacent oblique webs substantially intersecting the plane of one of said end walls.

7. A draft gear follower block comprising end walls and a plurality of webs extending obliquelyto and uniting said end aaraaae walls, some of said oblique webs being divergent toward one of said end walls and some of said oblique webs being divergent toward the other end wall.

8. A draft gear follower block comprisin end walls, a plurality of parallel slotte webs uniting said end walls, and a purality of webs extending obliquely to.and unitin said end walls and said parallel webs, said end walls, parallel webs and oblique webs forming a plurality of series of triangular prisms.

9. A draft gear follower block comprising end walls, aplurality of parallel webs unit ,in said end walls, and a plurality of Webs united to said parallel webs and extending obliquel to and unitin said end walls, said end wa ls, parallel we s and oblique webs forming three series of triangular prisms.

10. A draft gear follower block comprising end walls, a plurality ofwebs uniting v sald end walls and having key receiving slots therein, and a plurality of webs united to said slotted webs and extending obliquely to and uniting said end walls, said end walls, slotted webs and oblique webs forming a plurality of series of trian ular prisms, said slots being formed wholly 1n the portions of said first named webs which constitute the bases ofone of aid series of prisms.

11. A draft gear follower block comprising end walls, a plurality of webs extendin between and unltin said end walls, saic webs having alined Eey receiving slots, and key seat portions extending "between and uniting the respective webs at the opposite ends of said slots, said webs being, unconnected at the margins of said slots between said key seat portions.

In testimony whereof ll afiix rnv siature.

DONALD S. BARRWS. 

